Sheet-feeding machine.



No. 887,314. PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

F. L. (moss.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED. APR.3. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Q m4llllllllllmmmlum I Maj W WW Maw Mal-lag PATENTED MAY 12, 1308.

F, '13. mass. SHEET FEEDING ma ma.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1905.

Q Iii/06L) lqwweeses:

No. 887,814. PATENTED MAY 12, 1 908.

P. L. (moss.

SHEET FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 3.1905 I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

4 will] Elli r UNITED STATES PATENT. orrron.

FRANK L. ososs, or MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT, AssIeNor. TO oeoss PAPER.isnnnnn COMPANY,

or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE.-

SHEET-FEEDING MACHINE} Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma 12, 1908'.

Application filed April 3, 1905. Serial No. 253,649.

sheets intoposition to be acted upon at a high rate of speed and at thesame time to deliver the sheets, accurately in position to be seized oracted. upon'by' the sheet-manipulating devices of the machine to Whichthey are being fed. For instance, in feeding sheets to aprintingpre'ssrunning at ahigh speed, it is necessary to advance the sheets tothe front gages of the press at a high'rate of speed in order that theside register devices may have time to operate before the sheet-isseizedby the grippers of the press. If the sheets are brought againstthe front gages at full speed and the gages are relied upon to arrestthe sheet in its proper position, it has been. found that either thefront edge of the sheet will be crumpled and injured or the sheet willbound away from the front gages and not be to properly a and accuratelyposition the sheets against the front gages, various mechanisms. anddevices have been devised for slowing down thesheets just beforethefront edge reaches thefront gages.

The present invention relates more especially to a sheet conveyingmechanism whichv will act to advance the sheets at a high rate of speeduntil they are approximately in position and Wilhjthen act to slow downthe sheet and bring it into position against the front gages when'theisheetis either .approximately at' a state of rest or traveling atso slow a speed that it Will be properly positioned against the frontgages. This sheet conveying mechanism 2 comprises sheet cone veyingsurfaces which are driven at a-comparatively high speed to rapidlyadvance the sheet until its front edge 1s near the front gages or nearlyin the desired position, and

additional sheet conveying surfaces Whichtake the sheet Whiletraveling-at the same In order surface speed and act to slow down thesheet after it has passed from the control of the.

high speed conveyingsurfaces to the control of the slowing-downsurfaces. The sheet is under the control of one or the other or of bothof the conveyers during the time it is being delivered and is thereforerapidly delivered and then slowed down Without dan- 'ger of gettingthe'sheet out of alinement. v During the greaterv part of the travel ofthe" sheet, it is underthe oontrol'of the high s eed conveying surfaces.

Just before the s ectreaches thefront gages the slowdown con-' Duringthis interval the. slowdown surfaces have substantiallythe same speed asthe high-speed surfaces. There *is no danger therefore, of displacin thesheet during its transfer from one set 0 conveying.

conveying surfaces and is under the control of the slow-down surfaces,the speed of'these' surfaces is gradually but rapidly retarded t0 slowdown the sheet so that it, is accurately positioned at the front gages.1

The high-speed conveying surfaces'maybe of any suitable form suchiasrollers or ta for instance, and for the sake of simplicity andconvenience of adjustment l preferto. employ sheet conveying rollers asthe -high' speed conveying surfaces. The slow-down" surfaces .may alsobe of'various forms such as tapes, rollers, or segmentsfor-i'nstance; Ii prefer however, to employ traveling bars as the slow-down conveyingsurfaces and to :arj-I range and operatethese bars in accordancevvithcertain further features of invention Whichwill be more fullyexplained;in oe" nection with the detailed description of the mechanismin which; I; have embodied my invention.

The variousfeatures of invention will, be understood from a detaileddescription-of the feeding mechanism shown in the accomanying drawings,which embodies all the eatures in the form in whichl prefer to em top ofthe ile of sheets to combing devices by which t e top sheets'areseparated and fed to delivery rolls.

The sheet separating mechanism and the means for controlling it so as topresent individual sheets in succession to the delivery rolls may be ofany suitable construction, such for instance-as shown in Patent No.

6ll0702 January 7, 1902, and the delivery rolls may be operated in anysuitable manner, as for instance, as in the construction shown in saidpatent.

In the drawings the lower delivery roll to which the sheets arepresented by the sheet separating devices, is indicated at C. The sheetsseparated from the pile on the table A are advanced'by the deliveryrolls and by a series of tapes D extending from the .rpll 0 around asecond tape-roll or drum-C, The tape-drum C is mounted at the front endof l :a frame B pivoted to the side frames of the verse rod'b feeder andsupported at its front end by feet B which rest upon the feed-board ofthe press. The sheets as they are carried alon by the tapes I) passbetween the drum C" an presser rolls C arranged to bear upon the sheetsabove the drum 0 and thus insure their onward movement. The presserrolls are mounted in arms 0 pivoted to collars 0 which are adjustablysecured upon a trans- The collars a may be adjusted on the rod 5 tobring the pressure rolls into the desired position with relation to thetapes and tape roller. The tapes D deliver the sheets on to a series ofsupporting bars E and into the control of the delivery rollers F.

The sheet is pressed against the delivery roll-- ers F by cooperatingpressure rollers F which rest upon the delivery rollers. The rollers Fare mounted in arm F pivoted to collars F which are adj ustably securedupon a transverse rod F. .These rollers are supported by enga ement withthe delivery rollers F and are driven by frictional engagement with suchrollers or with the sheets passing between them. i a Thedelivery rollersF are driven at the same surface s eed as the ta es D and while thesheet is in t e control of t '16 delivery rollers F it is rapidlyadvanced over the barsE toward the front gages G of the press; The

- sheet remains in the control of the delivery rollers F until the frontedge of thesheetis seas 14- bars lil arranged below the path pf thesheet and adapted to be brought into engagement with cooperatingpressure rollers H which are connected with the pressure rollers F. Thebars l-l extend in the direction of movement of the sheet parallel tothe supporting bars E and during the action of the delivery rollers Fupon the sheet these bars H remain in positionwith their upper surfacessome what below the upper surfaces of the bars E and out of contact withthe rollers l-l. Asthefront edge of the sheet nears the front gages Gthe bars H are raised and at the same time moved forward with a surfacespeed substantially the same as the surface s eed of the rollers F andof the sheet. As t e bars rise they engage the under surface of thesheet, and press the sheet against the rollers H so that the sheet isbrought into the control of the moving surfaces of the bars and thecooperating pressure rolls H. At the time the sheet is thus brought intothe control of the bars H and cooperating rolls H, the bars aretraveling at the same speed as the delivery rolls F which are alsoacting upon the sheet and there will therefore be no danger of swingingthe sheet out of alinement even if one of the bars should engage itscooperating pressure roller slightly in advance of the engagement of theother bar with its pressure roller, nor will there be any danger of suchdisplacing of the sheet due to any unequal slip of the pressure rolls Has they begin to cooperate with the corresponding bars. The continuedupward movement of the bars H lifts the pressure rollers F away fromthedelivery rollers F so that the delivery rollers F cease to act uponor'control the movements of the sheet. After the sheet has been thustransferred from the control of the delivery rollers F to the conwhichthe sheet may be rapidly slowed down, i and positioned at the frontgages. The accurate positioning of the sheet against the front gages maybe further insured by so operating the, bars H thatthey continue to I Imove forward after the rear edge of the sheet the nponmerely to insurethe engagement of the has passed from between the rollers H and ar's H.This continued movement of the bars maybe utilized to give the final forward movement to the sheet in bringingfit' against the front gages ormay be depended front edge of the sheetwith the gages in case ofimperfect action ofl the slow-down surfaces in positioning the. sheet.In operating upon 'large sheets, bars H,-in addition tothosewhich-cotiperate. with the ressure rolls. H, I

, "ends of'the bars.

H -are' rovide'd with downwardly projecting may be employed, theadditionalbars being 5 connected to move with the bars which 0 operatewith the pressurerolls and forming a part of the traveling sheetsupport; The bars H are supported and operated from'two transverserodsh, h arrangedatw'o. posite The rear ends of the bars arms I 2 by whichthey are secured to the transverse rod -h In order that the bars may bereadily removed or adjusted the arms H are provided with'j aws embracingthe rod h and with set screws H for clamping the i'aws to the rod. Therod'h is ralsed and owered-to carry the bars H toward and away "fromthepressure rollers-H and is alsomoved forward-and back to give'the bars Hadvanc ing movements and to return them to normal position. The frontends of the bars-H rest upon the rod h and'tbisrod is raised andlowered' in uni'son with the rod h to co- "h in which the opposite endsof the rod' h" operate therewith in raising and lowering the 'bars H,the bars sliding backward and forwa'rd over the rods h as they areadvanced and retracted.

' The rod'k is raised and lowered to move the bars H toward and fromthe-pressure rolls by means of arms it provided with slots are mounted.These arms h are secured to a rock shaft h which is rocked at properin-' tervals. The rod h is mounted in arms h secured to a rock shaft hwhich is rocked in unisonwith the rock shaft it through a link h"connecting arms 71, and h secured to the shafts 'h and h-re'sp'ectively. The rock shaft h is rocked at proper intervalsb theaction of acam h secured to a sha t h "whichjmakes one revolution foreach sheet fed to "the machine: The connections between the cam k andthe rock shaft h con- --sist of'a l'ever'h one end of which engagesthecam and the other end of which is conneot'ed bya link In, with an arm-hsecured to the rock shaft.

' i The-rod h is operated to give the advance and; return movements tothe bars H by fandrock shaft h arefiio er'ated atproper inmeansoftwoarms It secured to op osite endsof a rock shaft h and provide slots7:, engagingtherod h'. The arms h tervals by the action-o a-cam h"securedto thei'shaf-th The connections between this with rear ed e'ofthe sheet has pas eath is e pressure rolls.-

shaft and the arms h" and rock shaft 71 consists of a lever it?connected hyiineans 10f a link h with one of-thearmshi. ,.The cams hland hi are-so@fOrmedQanrl timed that the rod, hmandsbars be moving atthe same spee.d;-:-,as ;(;l eli-'ver-y roller F landithe sheetriihen;the bars; IL en gage the c015v erating pressure roll ers Hf cam h" is alo so' shaped thatwhelithe-b'ars lzstart forward as'the rods h hi areraiser :and (will:

The

H havebeen raised to their highest position 1 and while they aremaintained -ini-this position', the s eed with which the bars are.advanced wi l be quickly retardedjuntil -the bars are at rest. The camgwillthenyaet to lower the rods h h and Tthe.,ba-i'sihig.latter; whichthe cam h will retract the rod hand the bar H to return thempto normalosition.

This construction of sup ortingcanc operating mechanism for thearstH-senahles the bars to be-readily and conveniently intro-"1;.

duced orremoved from the machine,; and

also enables the readyfadjustment-pt the bars to suit any width ofsheet; lt-sals'ogen ables additional bars to be readilylinserted orremoved as occasion requires. Thevshaft;

on which the delivery rollers are sev cured and the rod F 4 towhich-the; ressure rollers are connected, are-mounted in racket-s Fwhich maybe adjusted towarcl -onfrom the front gages in order to:bringlthe delivery rollers and the pressure rollers intoaproperrelation to thefront gages in accordance with.

the size of the sheet: beingactednupont The mechanism fordrivi'ngthedelivery rollers F atn the same surface'speed aszthe L tapes D comrises ashaft extending along the line of a 'ustment oft-the rollers'toward and from the, rent gages andcon-neqtedwith "the roller shaft bymeans of spiral-gears f, f mounted on theshafts f and ftrespec-imtively. The s iral gear f is: conneelteduwith thershaft so t "atitrevolves with the shaft,

while being free" to slidei-therebn. flSti'il'lB delii Very rollers areadj ustedi iZONELI'dzOI from the front ages. tape rum C through aseries-of spur gears f and spiral gears f oneofj which is secured gparsfl-and' the other ofawhieh I t The shaftf is driven from the:

sheet comes to the front-gages. slightly be fore the sheet reachesthispo iti m 2 The: delivery rollers F willtherefore act upongthe andthe bars H will act upon -the:.-rear partof edg'e comes to the frontgages; thetadvance movement of the bars continuing afterd'the sedfr be-"sheet through the greater par t gof its:;length 1 the sheet to quicklyslow it Trl wn-asfthefront The 2 specific; form of the sheet conveyingsurfaces employed in practicing the invention may be varied as desiredand the details of construction and arrangement and of the operatingmechanisms may also be varied,

withoutdeparting from the'invention.

With'out attempting to specify the variations and modifications whichmay be made,

' what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is r 1. A sheetconveying mechanism having in combination'high speed sheet conveyingsurfaces for advancing the sheet, slow-down conveyingsurfaces, andmechanism operatively connected to give the slowdown surfacessubstantially the same speed as the highspeed surfaces as they come intoaction and a retarded speed after the sheet has assed from control ofthelhigh speed suraces.

2.' Asheet conveying mechanism having in'combination high speed sheetconveying surfaces for advancing the sheet, slow-down conveyingsurfaces, mechanism operatlvely connects -to ive the slow-down surfacessubstantially t e samespeed as the high speed surfaces and then retardsaid speed, and means for transferring the sheet from the control of thehigh speed surfaces to the control of the slow-down surfaces when bothhave substantially the same speed.

3. A sheet conveyingmechanism having incombination high speed sheetconveying surfaces for. advancing thelsheet, slowedown conveyingsurfaces and mechanism operatively connected to give the slow-downsurfaces substantially the same speed as the high speed surfaces ,and.then retard the speed, and mechanism connected-to operate 13 e slow-downsurfaces to transfer the, sheet from the control ofthe highspeed'surfaces to the control of the slow-down surface when both havesubstantially the same speed.

4. A sheetconveying mechanism having in combination high speed sheetconveying surfaces, slow-down conveying surfaces,

cooperating rollers for holding the sheet against said surfaces, andmechanismfor;

o crating the slowdown surfaces to press t e sheet against thecooperating rollers and release the .hold of the rollerscooperatmg 1with the high speed surfaces.

I 5. A sheet conveying mechanism havingv in combination high speedsheetfconveying surfaces, slow-down; conveylng surfaces,

cooperating rollers for holding the sheet' against said surfaces,mechanism forgiving the slow=down surfaces substantially the same speedas the high speed surfaces and then retarding the speed, and mechanismfor o crating the slow-down surfaces to press t e sheet against thecooperating rollers and release the hold of the rollers cooperatingwithfthe high-speed surfaces whenboth in combination hig then slow downthe sheet.

9.. A sheet conve ingmechanism having surfaces to the conveying surfacesare moving at substantially the same speed,

6. A sheet convenng mechanism-having in combination ,hig speed conveyingsur faces, slow-down conveying surfaces, ressure rollers for cooperatingwith the igh speed surf-aces, connected pressure rollers for cooperatingwith the slow-down surfaces,

ing rollers to transfer the sheet from the con trol of the high speedsurfaces to the control of the slow-down surfaces.

7. A sheet conveying mechanism having faces, slow-down conveyingsurfaces, pressure rollers for cooperating with the high speed surfaces,connected pressure rollers for coo crating with the slow-down surfaces,mec anism for giving the slow-down surfaces substantia y the same speedas the high speed surfaces and then retarding the speed, and mechanismfor moving the slowdown surfaces towards and away from the speedconveying surmechanism for moving the slow-down surfaces towards andaway from the cooperat cooperating rollers to transfer the sheet from Ythe control of the high speed surfaces to the control of the slow-downsurfaces when both conveying surfaces are moving at substantially thesame speed.

8. A rheet conve mg mechanism havingin combination hig s eed conveyingsurfaces for acting upon tiie sheet through the reater part of itslength, slo'w-downsuraces, mechanism forgiving said surfacessubstantially the same speed as the high speed surfaces and',-,then aretarded speed,

and-means for transferring the rear. part of the sheet from the controlof the high speed surfaces to thecontrol of the slow-downswfaces-whenboth are moving atsubstantially the same, speed.

10.. A sh et conveying mechanism having in combination sheet conveyingsurfaces driven at a constant speed, sheet conveying surfaces driven ata varlable speed, and mechanism for transferrin the rear part of thesheet from the contro of the constant'speed 7 surfaces, t 11. A sheetconveying mechanism, having, in combination, high speed sheet conveyingsurfaces, sheet engaging means includin slow down conveying surfaces andsheet sup- ,portingfldevices moving therewith, rollers-for control ofthe variable speed ,l

holding the sheet against the slow down surfaces of said means, andmechanism for continuing the movement of the sheet supporting devices ofsaid means after the sheet has passed the rollers.

rollers and to give the bars a variable forward movement and a returnmovement. V

'14. A sheet conveying me chanismhaving in combination sheet conveyingsurfaces, bars arranged below the path of the sheet, rollers arranged.to cooperate with said bars, and.

mechanism connected to move said bars vertically and to advance andretract the bars.

15. 'A sheet conveying mechanism having in combination sheet conveyingsurfaces driven at a constant speed, bars arranged below the ath of thesheet, connected rollers arrange to cooperate with the sheet conveyingsurfaces and the bars, mechanism connected to move the barsverticallyand to ad vance said bars with a variable speed and to retractthe bars.

16. A sheet conveying mechanism having 3 in combination, sheet conveyingsurfaces,

bars arranged below the path of the sheet,

mechanism connected to move the bars vert'ically to advance and retractthe bars, rollers arranged to cooperate with the bars when raised and torelease the sheet before the advance of the bars is completed.

17. A sheet conveying mechanism having in combination,- sheet conveyingsurfaces' driven at a constant speed, bars arranged below the path ofthe sheets, mechanism connected to move'thebars vertically, to advan'cethe bars with a variable speed andto rollers, mechanism conbars aresecured.

retract the bars, rollers arranged to cooperate with the bars whenraised and to release the sheet before the advance of the bars iscompleted.

18. A sheet conveying mechanism having in combination delivery rollers,cooperating pressure rollers, connected pressure rollers,

sheet conveying surfaces arranged to e06 erate with said connectedrollers, and'mec anism for 0 crating said surfaces to press the rearpart of the sheet against the connected rollers. 1

19. A sheet conveying mechanism having in combination. delivery rollers,cooperating pressure rollers, connected pressure rollers,

sheet conveying surfaces arranged below the path of the sheet inposition to cooperate with. said connected rollers, mechanism forbringing said surfaces into engagement with 7 said connected rollers'andadvancing said surfaces at a varlable. speed.

20. A sheet conveying mechanism having in combination del very rollers,.bars a? ranged below the path of the sheets, connected pressure roler'sco'operating with the delivery rollers and bars, and mechanismconnectedto move the bars vertically and to advance and retract thebars. j 21. A sheet conveying mechanism having in combination, barsarranged below, i path of the'sheet, transverse rods carrying said bars,devices-forsecuring the bars 'tb one of'said rods, and mechanismconnected to raise and lower said rods and to advance and retract therod to which the bars are secured.

22. A sheet conveying mechanisin having in combination bars arrangedbelow the path of the sheets,transv erse rods Carrying said bars,devices for detachably' securing the bars to one of said rods, andmechanism connected to raise and lower the rods and to advance andretract the rod to which the In testimony whereof I have afiixed'signature, in presence of two witnesses,

' F ANK, L. enofss.

Witnesses. 1

IRA L. Frsrr, KATHARINE A. DUGAN.

